In 2006 I moved to Qatar and things are not what many people in North America would expect - it is not like how the Middle East is portrayed in the media. I'm also a fan of skepticism and science so wondered how this works here in Qatar. Since I'm here for a while I figured I'd use the time to get to know this country better and with this blog you can learn along with me. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - So what posts have been popular recently . . .

Monday, May 29, 2017

Ramadan 2017 - Working While Fasting

So it's now been three days, and two of them workdays. I think the hardest part of fasting is over as I've settled into a routine. No issues with caffeine (I maybe have one decaf coffee in the evening) and work is a nice distraction to the day.

I have noticed that around 11am I start feeling tired and lethargic, slowly progressing until by 1:30 it gets more difficult to focus on complex tasks. A couple of times when talking with someone I found myself pausing a bit to remember a word. It also doesn't help that around 1:00 my stomach starts growling, expecting lunch. My stomach is still on "regular time" and so, like clockwork, it gets ready for lunch. This is probably the toughest time of the day for me as I feel hungry but can't eat anything. After an hour or so my stomach quiets down and I just become more tired. It's okay though because by that point I'm home from work and can have a nap.

I have started something new though before I nap. I head up to the roof of my apartment building (where the pool is) and sunbathe to get some vitamin D. I don't sunbathe for a long time, just around eight minutes on my front, then I flip over to get the same time on my back. Vitamin D deficiency is actually a real problem in the Gulf since people generally stay covered and don't go outside much in the heat of the day. I think getting a bit of sun will help me sleep. Haven't had any issues so far but I need to be careful as I can get a sunburn pretty quickly. 20 minutes and I'd probably get red.

Evenings have been uneventful, I try to do a lot of walking to pass the time after iftar and to stall off eating another meal. Usually have my "main" meal around 9:30 or 10. That'll be it until 3:15am when I have to eat sohour before the fast begins.

Now that I'm in a routine I'll try to head out to the Ramadan Cannon this week, and maybe also catch the Corniche Car Parade.